Analysis of ankle range of motion and functional outcome following total ankle arthoplasty

The success of ankle joint replacement has primarily been reviewed with respect to patient morbidity and survivorship rather than patient satisfaction. A retrospective review was performed of 95 patients who had undergone a total ankle replacement and who had completed both postoperative range of motion fluoroscopy and a subjective patient score sheet. Collected data included age, body mass index, length of follow-up, presence of complications, performance of adjunctive procedures, range of motion, and the etiology of the end-stage arthritis. These variables were then compared with patient satisfaction to see if there were any predictive conditions of successful outcomes. Patients older than 60 years and those with a body mass index (BMI) less than 30 demonstrated a significant positive association with subjective satisfaction scores (P = .0023 and .0008, respectively). The amount of postoperative range of motion did not appear to correlate with patient satisfaction. Furthermore, there were no significant associations of patient satisfaction with a patient age younger than 60 years, a BMI greater than 30, additional procedures, perioperative complications, the length of time after surgery, and the presenting etiology.